Neuron-specific enolase in the diagnosis of neuroblastoma and other small, round-cell tumors in children

• Published in: Human pathology Vol. 15; no. 6; pp. 575 - 584
• Main Authors: Tsokos, M., Linnoila, R.I., Chandra, R.S., Triche, T.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.1984
• Subjects: Adult; Bone Neoplasms - diagnosis; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Lymphoma - diagnosis; Male; Neuroblastoma - diagnosis; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase - analysis; Sarcoma, Ewing - diagnosis; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/S0046-8177(84)80012-X

Immunocytochemical staining for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was performed in 44 round-cell tumors from children by the improved immunoglobulin-enzyme bridge method with antiserum against, NSE. The tumors studied consisted of 15 neuroblastomas showing various degrees of histologic differentiation, 13 Ewing's sarcomas, ten soft tissue sarcomas of diverse origin, and six lymphomas of bone and soft tissues. Neuron-specific enolase was detected in all neuroblastomas, irrespective of the degree of histologic differentiation. None of the other round-cell tumors was positive for NSE except one embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma that contained differentiated myoblasts. The primitive cells of this tumor were negative as well. It is concluded that immunocytochemical staining with antibodies to NSE is a practical and reliable method for distinguishing neuroblastomas from other nonneural round-cell tumors in children. This is ture even for the most primitive forms of neuroblastomas, in which morphologic techniques are less reliable. Neuron-specific enolase may also be useful in delineating the neural histogenesis of other ill-defined tumors.